The present invention relates to wall structure and manufacturing methods therefor and, more particularly, to a load-bearing structural assembly comprising a plurality of individual components interconnected to form an integrated unitary structure without requiring or utilizing a pre-erected framing structure.
Heretofore, in the erection of buildings of almost any type it has been customary to erect suitable framing structure in order to provide strength, rigidity, load-bearing capacity, etc., commensurate with forces and/or loads which the building structure is intended to withstand. Thereafter, other building components were suitably connected to the previously erected framing structure. Such other components included, but were not necessarily limited to, inner and outer walls, floors, ceilings, and roof panels for enclosing or subdividing space within the framing structure. Certain walls and floors were designed as load-bearing components while others were not necessarily intended for a load-bearing function.
Although concrete has been used successfully in at least some of the aforementioned building components, the use of concrete involves certain disadvantages. For example, concrete is a relatively heavy material. Thus, the use of components formed of concrete adds to the loads or forces that the building framework or other supporting structure is designed to withstand. The additional weight of such components may be quite substantial.
Additionally, certain types of components are not suitable for the utilization of pre-casting and/or mass production techniques and thus require the pouring of concrete in the field at the job site. This is both wasteful and costly since it requires the acquisition of costly forms as well as the labor expense for the erection thereof, the dismantling and/or cleaning and oiling of such forms after the concrete pouring operation has been completed.
Additionally, concrete lacks tensile strength and is therefore not suitable for the manufacture of structural components which will be subjected to tensile forces and/or flexural forces.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide means and method for obviating the above-mentioned and other difficulties and limitations.